


Life in a Northern town.

by areeskimosreal



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 11:36:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19131238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areeskimosreal/pseuds/areeskimosreal
Summary: Kayleigh hears John's dedication when she gets home.





	Life in a Northern town.

**Author's Note:**

> Another post argument fic.

The wipers were struggling to keep up, she had never known rain as heavy as it was now, perhaps the weather was a metaphor for her life right now, bright in the morning ,becoming duller as time passed by, only to become miserable with seemingly no end to the grey as the evening rolled on. She was soaked through, but right now that was unimportant, she was cold and hungry, but that was inconsequential, she was still in her uniform, who gave a shit ?. Steve had been going to fix this heap of junk of hers for weeks now, but typical man never got round to it, there was barely enough air blowing to clear the screen. She slowed for the bend, then accelerated again, she grunted and reached down to take off her right shoe, the left had fallen off in her haste to get to her car, she had to get where she was going quickly, she wasn't sure why but she just had to. She had never even considered that he, the man whose love she craved, might not even be there.

The puzzled look on Mandy's face when she got out the taxi, the hurried talk they had had when Mandy played "it" on her phone, the sudden sickening realisation of what "it" meant, what he had meant by " it " and what " it" meant to her, had struck her like a blow to the stomach, she felt suddenly sick, had her short fuse just cost her everything?. She was hurrying to find out. Unconsciously she slowed down, perhaps she shouldn't rush to her doom, because that's what it was , potentially. She started crying, she hadn't done that when she found out, hadn't done it as she ran to the car, to her destiny, but she started now. 

" I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please let's try again " she wiped her nose on her sleeve, a quick glance in the mirror confirmed her thoughts , she looked a red eyed, mascara streaked , runny nosed wreck, he'd take one look and run, if he would even look .

" Please God, let him look "

An alarm light pinged on her dash,

PLEASE REFUEL

" Almost there, I'll refuel tomorrow " she said to no one in particular.

The pleasant little street, was in view now, she literally skidded to a halt at the end of his drive , she sighed, the light was on and his car was there, that lovely little Fiat, not much to look at but meant the whole world to her, just like its owner did.

Normally she would have taken time to " pretty up " for him, not tonight, every second counted. She almost ripped the handbrake off she pulled it on so hard, in one movement she switched the car off, took out the keys and got out, she slammed the door and not bothering to lock it, ran up the drive.

 

John was sitting in the living room, he had the lamp on, the main light was too bright, it was making his headache worse, he had only stopped crying a short while ago, his life was shit just now, he looked at the cupboard where he kept his spirits, he was sorely tempted to make the futile attempt to drink his broken heart away, but he shook those thoughts away, he had tried that when his dad died, he ended up just as sad, but with a hangover and guilt to boot.., he sobbed and sat back in his chair, he felt the tears well up again, he didn't care, he only cared about one thing and he let that slip through his fat and as far as she knew,  uncaring fingers , he had let the best thing in his life walk away, he sat and he watched it unfold, feeling like he was wading in molasses, goodbye love, hello misery.

 

She rang the bell and hammered on the door, again and again, and again, if he didn't answer she wouldn't blame him, she would never blame him, this was her fault. She had walked out on him after all, left him to suffer, only it was her suffering, she tried to slow her breathing, she was close to panic.John had his music on, with that, the throbbing in his head and his sniffing, he almost didn't hear the door, he heard her final knock.

 

Suddenly the realisation that he just didn't want to see her dawned on her with a crushing finality,  she felt as if part of her had withered inside, but reluctantly she took the hint, she had blown this chance of happiness, she had lost the man that had won her heart, the one she had waited her entire life for. He hated her now she had to accept that, but it hurt, oh how it hurt, barefoot she walked crying down the drive, she pressed *1 on her phone, she needed Mandy, she really needed John, but she only had Mandy.

 

John opened the door to see the unmistakable figure of his one love walk away down his drive, phone to her ear, her shoulders shaking as she cried.

 

" Kayleigh,  Kayleigh love , wait " 

Realising she couldn't hear him, John ran out into the tempest, if she came here to talk then he had another chance, this time he would grab it, perhaps there was a God after all. 

 

With her phone to her ear , the drumming of the heavy rain on the two cars and her own sobbing she didn't hear him, she didn't turn round, she was having difficulty functioning, even the act of putting one foot in front of the other was becoming difficult. 

 

A large hand on her shoulder caused her to turn, when she did she found herself staring into the crying green eyes of the man who was her world. She stood not knowing what to do, John looked down and saw she was barefoot.

" John I'm so………………….."

" Shhh" John said pressing his finger to her lips. Despite the rain Kayleigh could see tears on his cheeks.

He lifted her up, cradled her and kissed her forehead, just holding her this close made his hurt fade, they looked into each others souls, as the incessant rain accosted them. Eventually he carried her into the warm haven of his house.

He put her down in the hallway and ushered her into the downstairs toilet, 

" Towels are fresh love " 

" John I  ………" 

" Get dried, you'll catch your death, we'll talk then okay ?"

Before Kayleigh could answer, John kissed his fingers and placed them on her lips, Kayleigh held them there for a moment, when she let go John closed the door. A few moments later he knocked, Kayleigh cracked it open, John passed in a pair of jogging bottoms, a t shirt and a robe.

" I'll be in the kitchen, okay ?" he smiled and nodded.

" Okay " She said nodding back.

" I'll turn the heating on, see you soon " 

She put on the t shirt, it was like a short dress on her, that and the robe would do, she left her skirt, blouse and stockings in the toilet for the moment, she towel dried her hair, and hurried into the kitchen, John pushed the chair opposite him out from under the table, she sat. Without speaking John pushed a hot cup of tea towards her, a plate of chocolate digestives sat between them. Kayleigh cupped her hands around her brew.

In the background the radio played, she didn't know the song but somehow, just hearing it soothed her, her and John sitting close, warm and expectant and a slow song as a backdrop, it was comforting 

" Why so cryptic, why not just tell me ? " that isn't what she had planned on saying,or what she had rehearsed saying, but she said it.

" I didn't know for sure , so I thought if you didn't want me, or us , I could say it meant something else " John still didn't look at her.

" But what does it mean John ?, I think I know, I want to believe that I know, but unless you tell me here now " she stabbed the table with her forefinger for emphasis, " exactly what it meant , I can only ever suspect that………."

" It means I love you, that's what I meant, what I mean, I love you Kayleigh, I have for ages "

" Why couldn't you just say it John, let me know ?"

John reached for Kayleigh's hand, she gave it gladly. 

" If I was wrong, if you just wanted us to be friends, and I said " Kayleigh I love you ", I would have ruined what we had, what we have, and I didnt want to risk it "

" But I love you John " 

" I didn't know that though Kayleigh "

" Really ?, I didn't try to hide it, not lately anyway, I did at the start, but not this last month or so "

"Why didn't you tell me ?" He asked softly.  

" I thought you were trying to knock me back gently, I thought that you must have taken the hints, but decided that you didn't want to get involved with a train wreck………." 

" You're no train wreck darling, no way no how" 

" Eventually I realised I couldn't take the chance of you not knowing " she smiled but a tear fell.

" Did you notice me getting grumpier on Mondays lately?"

The question caught Kayleigh slightly off guard.

" To be honest yes, you started off grumpy but seemed to mellow ………….." 

" As soon as I found out you hadn't met anyone over the weekend " 

" I'm confused John " 

" I hated those first few minutes, when you got in the car on a Monday, I was terrified that you would tell me that you'd met a wonderful man, and you were going to go out with him again, I couldn't function, couldn't breath until I found out  that you hadn't, and that I still had a chance, I felt like I was floating on air when I knew, as it got worse I realised it was because I'd fallen in love with you " 

Kayleigh was sitting tears flowing freely, holding both of John's hands now.

" Me too " 

" You too ?" 

" All those gigs you did, all those times I asked you if Jim was up to his tricks again, you telling me he'd pulled this girl or that girl, or that he'd copped off with a couple of nurses and had his dream come true, all the time I was dreading you telling me that you'd found someone, the thought of you hooking up with someone else when I was in love with you and I couldn't have you was killing me " 

" Why did we do this to each other ?" 

" John, I love you, I have for a while now, and I want you know that okay " 

" Okay " 

" No fireworks,  violins or any of that other crap, John, I just plain love you from the bottom of my heart, and if you don't love me that way, that's fine, well it's not obviously but I really really love you, I don't know what else to say, except I love you "

" I've wanted to say, but I was afraid, to be honest" John smiled.

" Of me ?" 

" No, of getting it wrong, for most of my adult and all my teenage years, my best friend was a six foot, heavy drinking, heavy smoking serial shagging guitarist called Jim, now it's a tiny, bubbly, fun filled, sexy, loving little redhead " 

" Me ?" 

" Aye you, and I didn't want to chance spoiling that friendship, and freaking you out by putting my cards on the table, and declaring my love, if I'd got it wrong God knows what would have happened "

" But you did, you put " it " out there for me and the world to hear, that's some declaration John putting that on the radio, thousands of people will have heard, Mandy recorded it "

" I had to, not telling you was killing me " John smiled shyly and shrugged.

" Tell me again " 

" Come over here then," 

Kayleigh got up and walked to John's side of the table, he pulled her onto his lap.

She sat side on, she pressed her forehead against his.

" I love you Kayleigh Kitson, and I will forever, unequivocally, unreservedly and unashamedly, you are the piece I need to make me whole, my reason to be, my undisputed destiny " 

" A simple kiss and an I love you would have done John, there were way toooo many un thingys in there " 

John pulled her head toward him, their first kiss, soft, tender and exploratory, sensual and romantic.

" Wow " Kayleigh said smiling " that was unbelievably, unrushed,  and understandably, unprecedented " 

John chuckled 

" Like that did you ?" 

" Yes, liked that, love you " John replied.

" Understandable " 

" Stop it " 

" Make me " 

John looked into her hazel eyes, he pushed hair back off her face, she smiled at him, he smiled back , soon they were kissing again.

" Unleashed unbridled passion did I ?" 

" Seriously Kayleigh stop it " John smiled.

" Okay, you're the boss, for now "

" As if " 

John felt Kayleigh giggle as he moved in for yet another kiss.


End file.
